Uber, Cabify cars are attacked in Spain; police arrest 7

By JOSEPH WILSONJanuary 19, 2019

FILE - This June 21, 2017, file photo shows the building that houses the headquarters of Uber, in San Francisco. Police in Barcelona have arrested seven people on suspicion of attacking cars that work with ride-hailing apps like Uber and Cabify as part of a protest by taxi drivers. The attacks took place Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 after taxi drivers announced an indefinite strike protesting a regional government plan to regulate the ride-hailing services. One group reportedly smashed a car's windows while the driver was inside. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Police in Barcelona have arrested seven people on suspicion of attacking cars that work with ride-hailing apps like Uber and Cabify as part of a protest by taxi drivers that turned violent on Friday.

The attacks occurred after taxi drivers announced an indefinite strike protesting a regional government plan to regulate the ride-hailing services, which they argued was too lax.

Taxi drivers continued to block a major street in Barcelona on Saturday, and taxi drivers in Madrid are planning to go on strike starting Monday. Regional and municipal officials were reportedly meeting again later Saturday with representatives of the taxi drivers.

Catalan public television showed images of protesters trashing cars allegedly used by the app-hailing services. One group smashed a car’s windows while the driver was still inside.

Emergency services said they treated a driver after he suffered an anxiety attack when his car was attacked by a group of men.